History, doctrine, culture, books

Medical Ethics in the News

Does a Christian pharmacist who is thereby morally opposed to some contraceptives have a moral duty to not fill contraceptive prescriptions when presented? Alternatively, does his or her role as a pharmacist impose a moral duty to fill any legitimate prescription despite personal moral views or qualms? This scenario is no longer hypothetical, as apparently some Evangelical Christian groups pushing the first argument have begun affecting the behavior of pharmacists and doctors (link from Pharyngula).

This seems like a really dumb idea. First, it will probably backfire, as even those who might have sympathy with their moral concern don't want doctors or pharmacists--some other doctor or pharmacist, not their own!--subverting a prescribed pharmaceutical or medical treatment. Do we really want retaliatory doctor boycotts to become a routine feature of the daily news? Second, doctors and pharmacists will quickly find other viewpoints less palatable. How about an animal-rights pharmacist who refuses to dispense any drug for which animals were used in the testing regimen? How about a racial bigot who refuses to treat anyone who isn't visibly Aryan?

Mormon Books 2013-14

Parley P. Pratt: The Apostle Paul of MormonismGivens and Grow's warts-and-all biography of this energetic missionary, author, and apostle whose LDS career spanned Joseph Smith's life, the emigration to Utah, and Brigham Young's early leadership of the Church in Utah. My Review